Lighter



Nov. 10, 1931.

I A. M. FRANKLIN 1,830,967

LIGHTER Filed Jan. 25, 1929 anocntoz ALBERT M. FRANKLIN Patented Nov. 10, 1931 ALBERT M. FRANKLIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LIGHTER Application filed January 25, 1929. Serial No. 334,880.

This invention relates to lighters, and more particularly to flint-spark lighters of the self filling type.

A popular type of lighter in use today comprises a fuel reservoir, sparking means, a wick, and a wick cap. The wick cap serves the purpose, not only of protecting the wick when not in use, and of extinguishing the flame, after use, but also of surrounding the tip of the wick with volatile fumes of fuel,

which aid ignition. An object of my invention is to promote ignition in such a lighter, to do which I lead volatile fumes of the fuel from the fuel reservoir to the wick cap by a path independent of the wick itself. Structurally, this may best be accomplished by providing a tubular cap arm communicating with the cap and pivoted to the lighter, with the customary resilient means for caus- 2 ing the cap and arm to either cap the wick or clear the wick flame, and with additional means for connecting the pivoted end of the cap arm with the interior of the fuel reservoir.

My invention further relates more partied larly to lighters of the self filling type, such as have been described in copending applica tions of Jerome B. Stern and Bernard S. Franklin, Serial Numbers 334,877, and 334,878, and of Bernard S. Franklin, Serial Number 334,879, all filed concurrently here with. Such lighters are provided with means to pump fuel into the lighter, and, in order to connect the lighter with a body of the fuel, a suction pipe is provided. This pipe is pivoted so that it may be turned out of the way when not'in use, and the lighter is provided with resilient means to hold it in position, and a tapered seat for closing the end of the pipe when it is not in use. While this extra equipment may be positioned at the bottom of the lighter it nevertheless adds considerably to the bulk, expense, and complication of the lighter. Now, in accordance with my invention I make the wick cap arm act also as a fuel intake tube or suction pipe. The wick cap arm must anyway be provided with the lighter, and usually is pivoted thereto with resilient means arranged to cause it to lie substantially parallel to the lighter, to

cap the wick, or substantially perpendicular to the lighter, to clear the wick flame, so that much duplication is avoided by my invention.

Of course, the objects of promoting ignitionand of providing a suction pipe, may'both 5:; be simultaneously fulfilled by making the tubular wick arm communicate not only with the reservoir but also with the wick cap, so that the tip of the wick is surrounded with volatile fumes of fuel, and at the same time the closing of the wick cap serves to close the open end of the suction pipe to prevent fuel evaporation.

My invention is further described in the following specification, which is accompanied by drawings in which Figure 1 is an elevation of one form of lighter embodying my invention; Figure 2 is a section taken on the line 22 in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of another form of lighter 7 embodying my invention.

Referring to Figure 1 it will be seen that a lighter mechanism of customary form has been modified to provide a tubular wick cap arm 2 which is in communication with a wick cap 4:, and which is connected at its other end to a square member 6. This member is threaded to a pipe elbow 8, which leads into the fuel reservoir 20. A resilient spring 10 bears against the square member 6 to insure that the wick cap arm is either in position to cap the Wick, or substantially perpendicular to the lighter, inorder to clear the wick flame. lVith this arrangement fumes offuel are admitted to the wick cap 4 and surround the wick tip 12 from a passage: entirely independ ent of the wick itself.

My invention is of especial advantage in connection with the filling of lighters, inasmuch as fuel may be fed through the Wick cap and arm into the lighter. Referring to Figure 2, which isa section taken on the line 2-2 in Figure 1, it will be seen that the opposite sides of the lighter are annularly corrugated, as at 14, in order to make them resiliently yieldable to hand pressure, so as to permit the displacement needed for the desired suction or pump action. The wick cap arm, when elevated, forms a suctlon pipe 0 through which the lighter, held in inverted position, may be filled by suction.

Figure 3, in respect to my invention, is similar to Figure 1, and is included merely to show another form of pump action, employing a compressible rubber sac. Here, again, the wick cap 4 is in flow communication with a tubular wick cap arm 60, which in turn is connected to a square member 62 engaging a spring 64, and threaded to an elbow 66, which is connected to the fuel reservoir. Sac 40 is inverted, so that it is in communication with the fuel reservoir at a point remote from the point of connection of the suction pipe 60 with the fuel reservoir, thereby preventing fuel from entering directly into the sac itself. The screw member 44, being at the bottom of the lighter, does not mar its appearance, and b its removal the entire sac may be remove for repair. The passage 46 is aligned with a hole in the screw 44 when the latter has been tightened. The sac is squeezed by moving lever 50 about its pivot 52, so that its inner end moves the plate 48 against the sac. To fill the lighter the lever 20 is released while the cap 4 is immersed in uel.

In either lighter the customary manualfilling plug 16 is provided, in order to permit the wick and absorbent material to be inserted in the lighter, and to carry spare flints.

I claim:

1. The combination with a flint-spark lighter comprising a single fuel reservoir, a wick therein, and a wick cap normally closely surrounding the tip of the wick, of a passage from the aforesaid fuel reservoir to the wick cap independent of the wick itself for normally constantly leading volatile fumes of 6. A self filling lighter comprising means for varying the effective internal volume of the lighter in order to suck fuel therein, a combined suction pipe and wick cap arm pivoted to and communicating with the lighter, and resilient means for causingsaid arm to either cap the wick or clear the wick flame.

7. A self filling lighter comprising a fuel reservoir containing absorbent fuel holding material, a wick, a wick cap, a combined suction pipe and wick cap arm, and means for sucking fuel through the wick cap arm into contact with the absorbent material to saturate it.

8. A self filling lighter comprising a fuel reservoir containing absorbent fuel holding material, a wick, a wick cap, a combined suction pipe and wick cap arm pivoted to and communicating with the reservoir for connecting the reservoir with an open body of the fuel when refueling, and means for varying the effective internal volume of the reservoir in order to suck fuel through the wick cap arm into contact with the absorbent material to saturate it.

9. A lighter comprising a fuel reservoir, a wick, a wick cap, and a combined fuel in take pipe and wick cap arm pivoted to the lighter and communicating with the wick cap and the reservoir for facilitating the introduction of fuel into the reservoir through the wick cap. 7

ALBERT M. FRANKLIN.

the fuel to the ,region within the wick cap surrounding the tip of the wick in order to promote ignition.

2. A lighter comprising a fuel reservoir, a wick, a wick cap, a tubular cap arm communicating with the cap and pivoted to the lighter, resilient means for retaining said cap and arm in position to either cap the wick or clear the wick flame, and means for connecting the pivoted end of the cap arm with the fuel reservoir, whereby the wick cap is in flow communication with the reservoir.

3. In a lighter, a combined fuel intake pipe and wick cap arm.

4. In a self filling lighter, means to suck fuel into the lighter, and a combined suction pipe and wick cap arm.

5. In a self filling lighter, means for varying the effective internal volume of the light er in order to suck fuel therein, and a combined suction pipe and wick cap arm pivoted to and communicating with. the lighter for connecting the lighter with an-open body of the fuel when refueling, and for capping the wick when the lighter is in ordinary use. 

